City Employee Arrested for Identity Theft

A multi agency task force has arrested a San Diego city employee for identity theft, using personal information she accessed from water department records. Mayor Jerry Sanders says he's taking steps to protect citizens in the future. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more from city hall.

So far only four victims of the identity theft have been identified, but city officials acknowledge city computers need a security overhaul. Mayor Sanders said the city auditor is taking immediate steps to strengthen internal controls on personal information, and he said the city will rethink its procedures.

Sanders: My first question when I heard about this was why in the world do you need a social security number to get water? We are going to assess why we ask for certain things, but we are also going to cut access to city employees until we figure out how we are going to use this information who should have access."

The city advises consumers to check their credit file. The accused has been a city employee for 16 years. The District Attorney says identity theft carries penalties of up to 10 years in state prison. At city hall, Alison St John, KPBS news.